Chapter 485 - 444: A Hidden Door Within a Hidden Door

Chapter 485: Chapter 444: A Hidden Door Within a Hidden Door

A confluence of indispensable coincidences was the only reason this vulnerability had revealed itself to him.

HUFF...

After observing for a moment, Chu Mu let out a long breath, and the Spiritual Radiance in his eyes dissipated. He rubbed his forehead, seeming a bit weary, but more than that, he was filled with doubt.

The vulnerability was obvious. Someone had left a back door—or rather, a hidden gambit—within this Soldier Puppet’s control core!

Furthermore, the method used to leave this gambit was extremely covert.

One could even say it was completely integrated with the Soldier Puppet itself. The Attribute of the Flesh and Blood Demon Puppet was perfect for completely concealing it with Demon Patterns. The Celestial Yin Cold Iron provided the strongest protection and also served as the best concealing barrier.

If not for this confluence of coincidences, he would have never noticed it at all.

An ordinary person, even if they did notice something, would assume the Demon Patterns deep within the Puppet Core were simply a part of the core itself, especially without a deep understanding of them.

Such a method was far too seamless.

It didn’t feel like a superfluous modification. Instead, it was more like a contingency left by the original creator of this Soldier Puppet’s Artifact Formula, designed solely to seize control of the puppet when necessary.

The problem was, this hidden gambit, composed of a Demon Pattern Seal, was also detailed in the fragmented Artifact Formula from the Jade Scroll—a fragment that came from the hands of the Array Dao Nascent Soul.

He hadn’t noticed it at all in the beginning. He had merely followed the records in the fragment, verifying and deducing as he went, and had simply copied the gambit it described.

’Was this added by a third party... or was it part of the original design?’

Chu Mu’s expression was grim and uncertain.

If it was the work of the one who created this Puppet’s Artifact Formula, then everything was simple.

But if it was done by a third party who then deliberately allowed the Chen Family to acquire the fragmented Artifact Formula containing the gambit, then that was undoubtedly terrifying.

A Tier Four Puppet was a terrifying existence, comparable to a Nascent Soul Great Power. With this gambit in place, the Chen Family could end up doing all the hard work for someone else’s benefit at any moment!

’The simplest method... is comparison!’

Chu Mu pressed his lips together. If there was another Tier Four Soldier Puppet, he would only need to compare them, and the answer would become clear.

If other Tier Four Soldier Puppets also had this hidden gambit, then it was undoubtedly left by the original ancient creator.

If they didn’t, it could only mean that someone was secretly plotting to stir up trouble...

Of course, there was another possibility: he had simply stumbled upon it by chance.

The so-called Celestial Yin Cold Iron was also something he had deduced based on the damaged Soldier Puppet itself, combined with the Refining method from the fragmented artifact formula.

However, this possibility was minuscule.

After all, this gambit, which was centered around Demon Patterns, was recorded in the fragment. The Celestial Yin Cold Iron, or any Spiritual Material with similar properties, could act as a barrier and achieve the same effect.

’Could it be... the Longevity Sect?’

Chu Mu’s eyebrow twitched, and he suddenly grew hesitant.

Although he was indifferent toward the Longevity Sect, he still bore the title of Ninth True Inheritor of Longevity.

Furthermore, he was a True Inheritor who had garnered the attention of a Sword Dao Nascent Soul.

A glint appeared in Chu Mu’s eyes, but he ultimately suppressed the thought of making any inquiries.

If it was a plot by that Sword Dao Nascent Soul, it didn’t really matter; he could just turn a blind eye.

If it wasn’t, he might overplay his hand and bring trouble upon himself.

Besides, with this gambit now revealed, the one in trouble... would be him!

Chu Mu looked again at the combination of Inscriptions woven from Demon Patterns.

After spending years in the Demon Realm under the constant threat of death, he had undoubtedly gained a systematic understanding of Demon Patterns.

It was precisely because of this deep understanding that, back in the Demon Realm, he had been able to borrow the Power of the Demon Realm, trigger the residual Grand Array within the Demon City, and buy himself a chance to escape.

Although the vast difference in their Grand Realms meant that this struggle was ultimately of little significance, it was undeniable that with his knowledge of Demon Patterns, he—with his meager Cultivation at the initial stage of the Golden Core realm—had caused immense trouble for that True Demon!

This just went to show the depth of his understanding of the Demon Pattern System.

He pondered for a moment, then took up a brush, dipped it in ink, and sketched lightly, adding several faint lines beneath the Demon Pattern Inscription.

Like adding the finishing touch to a masterpiece, with the addition of these few lines, the once-obvious anomaly was instantly concealed. It merged with the replacement Red Mountain Copper, becoming indistinguishable and once again nearly impossible to detect.

Even so, Chu Mu seemed dissatisfied. The Spiritual Radiance Blessing descended upon him, and after a long moment of thought, his brush began to sketch once more.

The process of revising and modifying continued for several more hours.

When his brush finally stopped, Chu Mu looked at the Soldier Puppet before him, a hint of satisfaction now visible in his eyes.

He didn’t care who was plotting in the shadows.

The problem was, he was currently in charge of the Puppet’s repairs. If this scheme was orchestrated by someone in the present, it would senselessly drag him into the mess, bringing him undeserved disaster! A threat to his very life!

After all, given how covert and seamless this back door was, even if it were activated, the Array Dao Nascent Soul would likely not notice it right away. They would only assume something had gone wrong with the Puppet.

By the time they realized otherwise, control of this Soldier Puppet would likely have already been seized.

And as the Artifact Refiner responsible for repairing this Soldier Puppet, he would undoubtedly be the primary scapegoat.

In other words, the moment something went wrong, he would have to bear the wrath of the Array Dao Nascent Soul, and even the entire Chen Family!

If he hadn’t noticed, then when the time came, a palm would probably descend from the heavens and slap him to death out of nowhere!

This blame was far too great. His small frame could never bear it.

Faced with the wrath of a great power like the Vast Sea Chen Family, which ruled over an entire region, he, a mere Golden Core cultivator, would be crushed to dust by the slightest misstep.

Under these circumstances, who was plotting was clearly no longer important.

Since the enemy showed no benevolence, he would show no righteousness!

They couldn’t blame him for leaving a gambit within a gambit, a back door within a back door.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

He didn’t just want to avoid taking the blame; he wanted to throw it back!

And as for the benefits, he wanted a piece of the action, too.

As for how to plot it all...

Chu Mu thought for a moment, and the rough outline of a plan began to take shape in his mind.

Formulating a plan to shift the blame was not difficult when one already knew the ending.

After all, the Demon Pattern Seal for this back door hadn’t been deduced by him. It originated from the fragmented artifact formula that came from the hands of the Array Dao Nascent Soul.

He only needed to make the Chen Family understand that this gambit originated from the refining method in that fragmented artifact formula. That someone had long been plotting against the Chen Family, and that it was the Chen Family themselves who had failed to perceive the truth...

It had nothing to do with him, Chu Mu. In fact, he had even unintentionally foiled the secret plotter’s scheme...

Knowing the final outcome, achieving this would clearly not be difficult.

It was merely a matter of ensuring that when control of the Puppet was seized, the Array Dao Nascent Soul would realize the true reason why it had happened.

The refining method from the fragmented artifact formula came from the Array Dao Nascent Soul’s own hands; they must have studied it extensively.

As long as they realized that Demon Patterns were the culprit, he, Chu Mu, would naturally be free of all suspicion.

He could even use this to demonstrate a little foresight of his own...

He would play the hero and reap the rewards.

A back door within a back door, the mantis stalking the cicada... he could also play the part of the oriole, watching from behind.

A Tier Four Soldier Puppet, such a terrifying existence...

Chu Mu’s eyes narrowed, and the plan that had been taking shape in his mind became increasingly clear.

After a moment, Chu Mu let out an inexplicable smile.

"What a happy accident..."

Chu Mu chuckled self-deprecatingly. He had originally just wanted to swap out the Spiritual Materials and use the opportunity to make a profit for himself.

Instead, he had stumbled right into uncovering such a deep secret.

Even his plan to shift the blame was intrinsically linked to this replacement of Spiritual Materials.

By replacing the Spiritual Materials, he could make the "back door within a back door" that he left behind even more concealed. He could also leverage the act of replacing the materials, in conjunction with the original hidden back door, to better clear himself of suspicion and shift the blame.

After a moment’s thought, he carefully checked everything one more time. After confirming and reconfirming that there were no flaws, he swept his sleeve, gathered the Spirit Paper from the table, and erased all traces of his work in the room.

This time, Chu Mu was extremely meticulous. At the very end, he even took the Spirit Paper on which he had recorded his discovery out of his Storage Ring and completely destroyed it...

Only after all this was done did he push open the door and step outside.

Not far away, the Soldier Puppet stood tall and imposing, still in its broken, grim state. Also nearby, the stone house where the Array Dao Nascent Soul resided came into view.

Chu Mu gazed at it for a moment, mentally organizing his words. After thinking it over and over to ensure he wouldn’t overplay his hand, he finally strode toward the stone house...

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